Gretsch G5265 Jet Baritone

The great Gretsch guitar name has been around for almost as long as guitars have been electrified.  If I had the dough, I could think of 4 or 5 models that I would like to have in my collection.  With their cool stylings, unique tones and a history of players that any guitar company would love to hold claim to, Gretsch guitars hold a pretty special and unique place in guitar history.

Just imagine at one time Brooklyn, NY had both Gretsch guitars and the Dodgers as ambassadors of the neighborhood.  Now, this made in America product of the past is a little more tricky to pin down.  They were bought out by Baldwin Piano in the late sixties ceased production in the eighties, went through a few generations of the Gretsch name attempting to reinvigorate the company and were eventually acquired by Fender instruments.  Made in America, or made in Japan, or made in China?  It's a bit sketchy.  Apparently there is an American custom shop but most of the product is from the Far East.  There is a lot to wade through if you are a through and through Gretsch fan.

Nonetheless, Gretsch(or fender or whoever) has been producing and reissuing a lot of instruments lately with classic names like Electromatic, Jet, Falcon, Country Gentleman, and Tennessee Rose.  All names that could double as a really cool kitchen appliance or western movie character.

All this backstory leads us to todays subject - The Gretsch G5265 Jet Baritone Guitar.

looks like a giraffes neck on a guitar

This guitar absolutely required a bit of a review here.  I dare you to venture further online and attempt to decide if this is the guitar for you.  The reviews are all over the place and fairly polarized.  Some folks loved it and a lot of folks had a lot of problems with it - so I'll try to sort through some of it.

One of the big problems people had is that the guitar is called a baritone guitar but when they received it in the mail they were surprised to find that it is really set up as a six string bass.  This is a contemporary problem and shows where most people are doing their shopping these days.  I can't fault people as I take a fair amount of chances on ebay and if you think about it this is how dad and grandpa bought their guitars back in the day from the Sears or Montgomery Wards catalog.  They would look at a picture, read the description and hope that the guitar was all it claimed to be.

I had the good fortune of actually playing this guitar in a little hometown music store so I knew exactly what I was getting.  It is true that this guitars name is a bit misleading as it really is set up as a six string bass.  This can be easily modified by restringing it and cutting a new nut to accommodate the skinnier strings.  I happen to really like the bass setup.  That is how I initially played it and it is what drew me to the instrument.  I can remember picking the guitar up and just fingerpicking it without any amplification.  I knew it was going to be something special.  Plugged it in and it really soared.  It was a sound I had never heard before or at least a sound I had never been able to create with any other instrument I have ever owned.  This guitar gets a lot of work in the studio.  It provides some wonderful colors to a tune and can be used as a backing pad just as well.  I've never used any effects - just fingerpicked it coming straight out of a dry amp.  Playing triads on the higher strings can really add a new dimension to your tune.

As a songwriter, the most important aspect of this guitar for me is that it inspired me to write. This is probably the best compliment i can give an instrument.  The sound was so unique that a song came running out of me within a short time of owning the instrument.  The best part is that i am sure there are more songs stuck inside this guitar waiting to come out.

It's a long guitar with an almost 30 inch scale.  Even so it plays with ease.  The strings fret easily and the fretboard and neck are both smooth as one could expect.  It comes with a pair of Gretsch mini humbuckers and a real deal Bigsby tremelo system.  This is where many have assessed the problems lie.  The guitar does not come with a roller bridge to accommodate the Bigsby and so if you are wanging away on that Bigsby there may tend to be some movement in the bridge as the strings are carrying it along with them when the trem is being used.  This is a valid point and something that was overlooked in the design.  I don't get to involved with the trem so it's a non issue for me.

The guitar stays in tune(if you are not wailing on the trem), it intonates properly, is easy and fun to play and like all Gretsch guitars is quite a looker.  That's generally all the assessment i need.  Yes, it's made in China and there are a few design flaws that some seem to consider a bigger problem than i do, but this guitar gets a two thumbs up from your grandpas guitar.  If you are really nitpicky about your setup, you might want to spend the extra bucks for something else.  If you are looking for a wonderful new tool to add to your arsenal at a very reasonable price point than this instrument is worth taking a look at.